Foldable bracelet catch



Dec. 28, 1948. J. BIKOFF FOLDABLE BRACELET CATCH Filed Feb. 26, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 28, 1948 invention relates to closnre or locking meansifon'bracelet chains and the like, and has foritsmain object toprovidea device or this type will open up into an expanded condition or iiiia asy, 'efiicientmanner. g,

ff'Anotherfobjeet of this nvention is tojprovide devic as indicated, which win be r; the fold- [erme type" andwhibn Will have novel efiicient means to lock the foldedmembers to one another e .into' a much shorter contracted condition,

""lr oiin'A L RAG LET CATCH g i Jonas li ikofit'gfirooklym Y. I jept itatieii mast 26, 19547, seria no'yqsopso f "ya-cl im (ohm-t member H, andthe two other parts 101) and 100 of said first folding member in are shown separately, p 3 'Said'first fol'dable member it has a base element 1 lla'which is U-shaped in cross section, havin the bottom l5' and the two side flanges i6.

when it is'des'ired to contract the braceletorthe like, orto release them from one another and open them up when'it is desiredtoexpand thegbracelet. 1,1" son a further'obiectofthis inventidn is'to pr e a, device ,aslcharacterized 'hereinbefore, wh ein,. tl'le, fo dingand locking into contracted position, as wellfas' theopenin'g up andlexpanding e t 'ei a 'b l n i a a y. Qui k menher, without the use or the fingernailsorspeclal uberances or dthe'rfldevi'ces on i'th'e 'f oldab1e .fcat n vhicjn' are n s ary in the extensib e and 61 ,bl' .c itthes ffor bracelets; now in Iuse, y and deeds/or partly. pointed outgtherein, 1 ntn .dr w es r in a erit et 'oi aiid; c mp n in th f am'e Q1 a perspectivejview of comp "te bracelet catch or lockiilin jopenl positidn, part'sldf the i'st member] theeolf being" separated',,i 6r l a' er vi yv f he; sam'eil' i i;..l i affra mi ta'rvlne isiie fi v t. first memb er, the th'reepa t'sr thereof being assembled' as they are used in my folding catch, and this f gure being on 'a muchf larger scale than F's-1i m Fig. 3 is a; longitudinalsectional view of '1, my 'n'gibracel catcl'ifin'a ClosedQcontracted'pb ig. 4is'atra, I versasection'al view ofthesame, the section being takenpn "the lined-'4 of Big. )3;

Referringnow to the drawings morejnjd'etail by characters 'ofireference, myifdldablebr celet catch in the e'nibodii'r'lent shown, is composed-Lot fivemembe'rs, generallyindicatled by the numerals Ill/ 41512, 13', I4, andfa's as beenm io'ned,"the' first member" ibis-shown withfits parts assembled inthe position asu sed in myfoldableeatcli in Into said U-shapedbase We is set a double acting spring member; generally indicated by the numeral lob, which is formed by a thin sheet metal plate 17 having the shape indicated in the figures, so that itmay fit over the bottom l5 of the base, member Illa, and in the center thereon a spring tongue [8 is separated from its material as by the left hand shorter axialslot IS, the right hand somewhat longer slot 20, and the transverse end slotZl, ,said spring tongue l8 normally being bent somewhat' upwardly out of the plane of the base platefl.

Four; upstanding spring ears 22 are arranged adjacentto the four corners of the plate H, but somewhat spaced apart therefrom, each ear having an inwardly turned bead 22a.

" Thenext'folding member or link H is in the shape ofa frame,- having outwardly turned pins '23 by which itis pivoted in the respective ends of the flanges i6. Atthe other front end of the flrst'link member l fla'a small cross bar 24 is arrangedspaced apart'from the bottom I5 thereof, while the inner end I la of the pivoted second link member His also spaced apart from the bottom platel5 to a similar extent. The spring member 10b will beinsertedinto base member Illa in the position shown in Fig. 2,'its bottom plate I"! resting over'the bottom [5 of said member, and its respective ends 25 and 26 being placed under neath the cross bar -24 'andthe inner marginal rotating end i Id of the second link member I I,

respectively, as indicated in Fig. 2, whereby the spring member lob is permanently and reliably secured into 'thechannel base member Illa, the upstanding ears'22 preferably frictionally engaging the respective flanges l6. h

The thirdielement [0c of the'ifirstlink member I llis a "slotted'grid'plate, and it will be placed underneath the spring member I'Ob betweenthe' same and the bottom |5fof the base member [0a. As indicated in Figs. 1 and 3,6ohe end 21 of the bracelet chain 28 will be" hooked in a pivoted mannerinto the first narrow'slot 29,-and it also willbebbviousthat-the grid. plate [00 may slide inwardly and outwardly on the bottom 15 of the member ID, as. indicated by the double arrows '301 (Fig s 2 and; 3).; whereby the length ofthe bracelet'maybe delicately adjusted. r ,TAJ dowriWardly 'projectinglea'rl3l is struck out astute prevent an outward movement thereof since then one of its slots 32 will be caught by the inner edge 3Ia of the ear 3|. In a word, when the device is closed, the grid plate Iilc may bepushed inwardly to a desired extent, but will be locked in,

any of its inward positions wherethrough the bracelet may receive its final adjustment. An up-y,

Ward projection or button 33 is struck into the material of the grid plate I00 adapted to slide inwardly and outwardly in the slot 20 of the spring plate Illb, said button serving as a limitation for the outward movement of the grid plate I00. The second link member, is in the form of a frame pivoted in the inner ends of the flanges t6, as indicated at 23. This link member and all thefurther ones are narrower than the first link member ID, so that they may be folded one over the other inside of said flanges and into the space within said first member, as will be explained hereinafter. r

The third link member I2 is somewhat narrower than the second link member I I, and'is in the form of an appropriately shaped plate 34 being hingedly secured into the frame II adjacent to its further and, as indicated at35.

The fourth link member I3, again, is. in the shape of a frame of about the same width of-the link member I I, and the curved plate link member I2 is hinged adjacent to'the inner end of said frame, as indicated at .35. I The last link member I4, is again, in the shape of achannel or flange plate of U-shape cross section, similar to the first one, but also being somewhat narrower 'so as to be adapted to be folded thereinto. It has a bottom plate 36 and two longitudinal flanges 31. An inwardly projecting indentationor small rounded channel 38 is pressed into each flange 31. Said last linkmernber Id'also will have an inwardly 50 turned transverse terminating, flange 33, which may have a cross pin 39a formed in itsmaterial, into which may be pivotally secured the other end 40 ofthe bracelet or chain 28,.as will be understood.

The use and operation of my device will be understood by those versed in theart from the herein description. However, I want toadd the following further remarks relating thereto.

When it is desired to close my bracelet catch and thereby shorten the bracelet, the various link members will be pushed one over the other and all of them into the first member Ill- It will be understood that in the usual use of the bracelet, this member will be the outer one-or top member, and all the members are appropriately curved so that the catch should conform to the curve of the wrist, when in a closed position.

When closing the device, first the frame memher II will be turned on its pivot 23, as indicated by the arrow 4i, into the first member III and between its flanges I6, whereuponthe curved plate member I2 will be folded thereover, as indicated by the arrow 42, then the third member I3 will be folded, again, in the same direction as the folding of the second member I I, and as indicated by the arrow 43, and, finally. the last member I 4 will be folded, as indicated by the arrow 44, on its pivot 44a. I

The user now will exert a slight pressure on the opposite and members of the folded device, as

indicated by the arrows 45 (Figs. 3 and 4), which member 'I I into the first member I0 will cause the springs 22 to be somewhat flattened out, their free ends 222) sliding on the flanges I6 until their inward indentations 22a will snap into the respective inward indentations or channels 38 of the flanges 31 of the bottom or innermost link member. y

Such an inward movement of the last member I4 will press thecurved plate member I2 inwardly. An inward or downward indentation 46 is provided in the inwardly curved portion of the plate 34 which will press the spring tongue I8 towards the plane of its plate I I whereby its projection 3| will be placed into the path of the grid plate I00, and will permit only an inward adjustment thereof and secure or look it against any outward movement, as has been explained hereinbefore.

As has been mentioned, when the bracelet is worn and is closed. the outermost member will be the first member Illa, and the position thereof will be as indicatedin Fig. 3, such catches usually being on the inside of the wrist of the wearer.

When it is desired to open up my catch, the;

wearer, as usual, will turn his wrist upwardly and simply catch the outermost member I 0 between histhumb and finger by the two flanges I6, and

exert a slight upward pull thereon, as indicated by- I0 in the direction of arrow 47 will cause said member to start opening up on its pivot 23, and continuing said pull thereon will cause all the other members to unfold and open up on their respective pivots, as indicated in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that my bracelet catch may be,- closed in a very simple manner by folding the" members one upon the, others and exerting a pressure on the top member, and, similarly, it may be opened up in an extremely simple mariner by catching the top member and lifting -'-it oif the bottom member and thereby unfolding the same and all the intermediate members.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, I am aware of the fact that changes and variations may be resorted to in its elements, constructions, and combinations, and I reserve my rights to said changes and variations which are within the spirit of this speciiication and the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

What I claim as new and want to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a bracelet catch, having pivoted link membersadapted to be folded one over the other when the catch is in a closed contracted position, or to be strung out into a chain-like arrangement when the device is expanded, the combination, of two oppositely placed channel U-sh'aped end link members, one forming the bottom member,

the other the top member, of the catch when the same is in a closed position, said end members remaining in said opposite positions when closed upon one another, the bottom member being somewhat narrower and adapted to fit with its I flanges between the flanges of the top member, a spring plate secured inside of said top member, spaced apart from the base plate portion thereof, an inwardly and outwardly slidable grid plate between said spring plate and the base of said U- shaped top member, one end of the bracelet chain being secured to said grid plate whereby the length of the chain may be adjusted by the movements of said grid plate, a spring tongue struck out of said spring plate and curved away from said grid plate, an indentation on said spring tongue, means on one of the intermediate folding members, adapted to bend said spring tongue towards said grid plate when the catch is closed, the indentation on said tongue then engaging the slots in said grid plate, said indentation permitting an inward movement of said grid plate but locking the same against an outward one, by engaging a respective slot therein.

2. In a bracket catch, having pivoted link members adapted to be folded one over the other when the catch is in a closed contracted position, or to be strung out into a chain-like arrangement when the device is expanded, the combination, of a spring plate secured inside of one end member, spaced apart therefrom, an inwardly and outwardly slidable grid plate between said spring plate and said end member, one end of the bracelet chain being secured to said grid plate whereby the length of the chain may be adjusted by the movements of said grid plate, a spring tongue struck out of said spring plat-e and curved away from said grid plate, an indentation on said spring tongue, means on one of the intermediate folding members, adapted to bend said spring tongue towards said grid plate when the catch is closed, the indentation on said tongue then engaging the slots in said grid plate, said. indentation permitting an inward movement of said grid plate but locking the same against an outward one, by engaging a respective slot therein.

JONAS BIKOFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,701,041 Johnson et al Feb. 5, 1929 L'IQ IAZI Kraemer Dec. 31, 1929 

